


Protecting You

by charlotteicewolf77



Category: Beyblade
Genre: Crime, Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Friendship, Gen, Help, Hurt/Comfort, Pain, Strangulation, Whump, attempted suicide, criminals, first fic, tournament
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 07:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 5,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/684359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charlotteicewolf77/pseuds/charlotteicewolf77
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I was trying to protect you Bryan." Tala murmured weakly "W..What?" Bryan said shocked. <br/>First fanfic that I ever wrote! (yes i was crap a year ago)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tala is my most favourite ever beyblade character!  
> but as much as i want to own him i dont, only in my head can i ahve such a nice life

Bryan was waiting anxiously for Tala to return home from school. Every day for 2 months now Tala had been making excuses to not walk home with him. Bryan hadn't thought anything of it, at first. Then he had noticed that one of Tala's school shirts had blood on it. Bryan asked the red-headed Russian about it and been slightly mollified when Tala claimed he'd fallen over during P.E. and cut himself on a piece of glass. Then Tala started to come back with more obvious wounds, a black-eye, bruises on his wrists, a bloody nose. The answers Bryan had received then was much less than reassuring. Fighting, tripped over, all excuses that he himself had used God knows how many times before.

The lilac-haired teen sighed and glanced at the clock. Tala was nearly an hour late. Thoughts ran through Bryan's head. What if Tala had collapsed? Had he been in a fight and been badly hurt? Was he even alive? Bryan was snapped out of his reverie when Ian slammed the front door as he returned home from school. (A/N: because Ian is 2 years younger than Tala and Bryan he goes to a different school.) Said shrimp sauntered into the living room where Bryan was still waiting. "Hey." Ian said as he slung his bag on the floor and jumped onto the sofa next to him. "Hnn" was all he got as a reply.

Ian looked round and realised Tala was no where to be seen. Puzzled he turned back to Bryan "Where's Tala?"

"I have no idea."

"Do you think he's O.K.?"

"I hope so."

Suddenly the door slammed. Bryan sprinted into the hall. Ian followed at once when he heard Bryan yell. "Tala! Oh my God, Tala!"


	2. Chapter 2

Ian scooted to a halt when he saw what was going on in the hall. Tala was lying on the floor unconscious and covered in blood, muck and dirt. Bryan was kneeling next to him, trying his hardest to wake the red-head. Ian ran over and dropped down next to Bryan. "What happened?" he asked.

"How the bloody hell do you expect me to know!" he yelled fearfully. Ian did his best to calm him down.

"Alright calm down! Look get Tala up to his room and I'll go get the first aid kit." The lilac haired Russian nodded and picked Tala up bridal-style before heading up the stairs.

Bryan carefully lay Tala down on the bed and started to unbutton his school shirt that was now entirely red from his blood. What he saw underneath made his blood run cold. Tala's torso was a mass of wounds. Some were small, deep gashes and others were long, repeated cuts that resembled claws. Ian appeared with the first aid box clutched in his arms. Once he saw the full extent of Tala's injuries he dropped it and gaped. Bryan snatched the box and started to tend to his friend's wounds, becoming more and more concerned as he discovered every new cut and graze. Ian could only stand by and watch. Not for the first time he wished Spencer was here and not in Murmansk looking after his little sister and attending his father's funeral. 

Both boys froze when Tala started to stir feebly.

"Tala?" Bryan said gently. The red-head groaned and opened his eyes. 

"Bryan. Ian. W…what happened?" he queried.

"We were hoping you could tell us." retorted Ian.

But Tala just shook his head and closed his eyes.

"No I can't say. I can't because… because" suddenly Tala started to cough up blood. Bryan pulled him into a sitting position and Ian got a bowl for him to be sick in. 

"It's alright Tal." Bryan told him. "Get some sleep. You can tell us when you wake up."

The teen shook his head again. "No. I can't say. I can't."

"Well get some sleep anyway, yeah?" Ian told him. "You definitely look as though you need some."

Tala didn't reply and 2 seconds later he was fast asleep.

Bryan finished cleaning and bandaging Tala's chest then him and Ian sneaked quietly back down stairs to the living room.

"What do you think happened to him?" the shrimp asked Bryan. "It's like he's been in a fight but he was just standing there and taking it. Not trying to defend himself at all."

The lilac-haired Russian sighed wearily. "We'll know when Tala wakes up."  
"Yeah but he said he couldn't tell us." Ian reminded him.

"Let's just wait until he wakes up and take it from there."

"Bryan I wish Spencer was here."

"Me too Shrimp. Me too."


	3. Chapter 3

TALA'S P.O.V.

I open my eyes and discover that I'm in my own bed. I feel like bloody hell. Even worse than the time Boris slit my throat. Why am I like this? I then remember the walk home from school. Him coming out from the alley as per usual and me having to follow him. Because if I didn't he'd hurt them. And I won't let them be hurt. But this time it had been different. This time it was much more heavy and painful. This time I was actually afraid.

I should be used to pain by now. I endured it all the way through until I was 14 in the abbey and then I endured it again when I tried to stop Boris and Bega. Even before I went to the abbey I used to get beaten by my father. He was one of the highest ranking soldiers in Russia but then communism ended and all of that and he lost his job. He turned into an abusive drunk who used to hit me all the time. Eventually all the money he had saved up ran out and my mother left. She only married him because he was paid well. She never harboured any love for me so she left me. After she left he started to rape me. He let all the drunks he met at the pub come back and do it to me as well. If that wasn't bad enough I had to steal alcohol and food, 3 years old and already an expert thief. 

I stuck it out for another year, hoping Mum might come back but she never did. So on my fourth birthday I took out a rucksack I'd stolen, packed it with my teddy, some food and some cash I'd nicked and a blanket. Then I wrote my Dad a note and left. I never saw him again. It was a shock at first, although I'd been preparing for a while it was still a shock to be free. To be able to sleep when I wanted, safe knowing I wouldn't have to wake up to beatings. A week passed and I met Bryan on his first night on the streets. His dad had just been fired from his job as a soldier. He had come home and gotten drunk and kicked Bryan out. I don't know why but we just clicked, as soon as I met him on the park that day, crying on the swings we were inseparable. Bryan's always been a quick learner and after a week he and I were becoming more and more daring. We stole a new set of clothes for each of us and a couple of times we even dared go to the rich part of town and lift the wallets off of 4 or 5 people in one day. Those "heists" profited us well and we wouldn't have to return to stealing for maybe 3 months afterwards.

But eventually our luck ran out. Just over a year since we became partners in crime we were caught. We were hauled off to the police station. Then Boris came in and offered a place to live in with other boys, 3 square meals a day. And in return all we had to do was learn how to BeyBlade, train to become the best and obey his every order. Some people may think we were stupid to agree but we were 5 year old kids who were scared and forced to steal for a living. Anyone in our position would have gone with him. But when we got there we realised we had been tricked. The food was crap, the uniform offered no protection against the cold and the whole place was hell on earth. A month after me and Bryan arrived Spencer ad Ian were brought in. Then 5 years later Voltaire attempted to enrol Kai, big mistake. Kai stuck around for about a year, then he was sent away after he tried to use Black Dranzer. 

Boris continued to carry on training us to become the best. Now there was punishments, beatings, raping, the lot, all to me. I didn't let Boris go near the other 3 at all. I knew what it was to feel dirty and unclean. It was so terrible, I wouldn't let any innocent child go through that. Some people call me brave, some stupid. I'm neither. I'm old. I've seen and been through things that would cause some people to die of shock. I feel like I've lived for 100 years. Yet I've barely seen anything all at the same time. My entire life I've been held by invisible boundaries. First my father, then I was confined to the town where I pick-pocketed with Bryan. Then the abbey walls. I haven't seen much happiness. Sod that I haven't ever been happy, until Bega was destroyed and I returned to Russia and started going to school. Being a normal kid. 

And I am happy. Or at least I was, before he showed up. 

So now here I am again. Protecting my family at the cost of myself. In a way I'm glad Spencer isn't here. If he was then there's no way I'd be able to keep this secret. He knows somehow when I'm upset and at night he'll creep into my room and hug me and ask me what's wrong. And I always tell him. I have to. There's something about my big brother that compels me to trust him and tell him everything. Even when it might put him in danger I tell him.

And none of them can know. Because if they did they'd be in danger. I can't risk it.

I throw the duvet back and stand in front of the mirror. Slowly I take the scarf Ian gave me on my birthday and wrap it round my neck. "I'm sorry Bryan." I whisper then I pull the scarf tight. It hurts, so much. I persist. I fall to my knees but continue pulling I can only see blackness. I feel myself slump forward. I can't breathe. Then it's only darkness, until the door opens and somehow the scarf is no longer at my throat and I'm lying on the bed. Still alive. I want to yell, scream, kick anything. That's it, they're lives are now in danger and they don't even know it.


	4. Chapter 4

Bryan knocked on the door gently. When Tala didn't answer, he frowned. Weird, he was sure he'd heard something. Ian had gone round to a friend's house which meant it couldn't have been him. Eventually worry got the better of him and Bryan opened the door and his blood ran cold. There was Tala slumped on the floor strangling himself with a scarf! Bryan lunged forward and ripped the scarf out of Tala's hands and shoved him onto the bed. The red-headed teen struggled slightly but was too weak from lack of oxygen to offer any resistance. 

"Jesus Christ Tala! Why the hell would you even consider doing a thing like that?" 

"I was trying to protect you Bryan." Tala murmured weakly.

"W..what?" Bryan said shocked. Protect him? Just how was Tala committing suicide protecting him? He was about to say something more when he noticed that some of Tala's cuts had reopened. Looking back at his friend the lilac-haired teen saw he was unconscious. Sighing he picked Tala up, took him back downstairs and lay him on the sofa. Bryan carefully bandaged the open cuts and discovered more on Tala's legs. Then he gently rubbed ointment onto the bruises that marred his throat. When he finally finished, Bryan sat down in the chair opposite his brother and thought hard.

None of what Tala said made any sense. The whole situation made no sense. Then in the subconscious part of his mind, something clicked. First Tala refused to tell them what happened then he tried to kill himself and claimed it was to protect him. So… maybe Tala was strangling himself to insure he didn't say what was going on and protect the rest of his team! His lamenting was interrupted however when Tala turned over and cried out in pain. Bryan quickly hurried to his friend's side. 

"It's O.K. Tala go back to sleep. You're safe, I promise." It did little to comfort the Russian and he continued to struggle.

"No, not again. Not like before. No, please, NO!" by this time Bryan was in a severe state of panic. Grabbing Tala's shoulders he shook him as hard as he dared.

"Tala it's alright it's me, Bryan! I won't hurt you. You know I won't! Wake up Tal! Wake up!" with a choked sob Tala finally opened his eyes.

Bryan hugged his red-haired friend tight and did his best to comfort him. 

"Let us help you Tal." He whispered pleadingly.

"No." Tala remained adamant. "I'm not letting you guys get hurt. You're my family, family protects each other. And I can only protect you and Ian and Spencer if I never, ever tell."

Bryan decided to try a new angle.

"What will happen if you tell us?" he queried. "O.K. something bad will happen but what?"

"He'll come after you. Come after you and kill you."  
"Who?"

"Barthez"


	5. Chapter 5

Bryan could only stare at Tala as what he said registered in his brain. Barthez? That creepy guy who used to coach Miguel's team and who was really an agent of Boris'? Shock and anger mixed together in his head. And also confusion. Why? Boris and Voltaire had both got the death penalty and were in their graves. All the scientists and doctors and guards who had been employed by them were in prison, dead or reformed. 

Tala must have noticed the expression on his face because he smiled weakly before continuing.

"For once in our lives this has nothing to do with Boris."

"Then why?" Bryan was totally and utterly confused. 

"Barthez is my father."

"WHAT?" Bryan yelled. "You mean that creepy, jock-assed bastard is the abusive drunk who used to rape and hit you when you were a kid?"

"Yes." Tala was surprisingly calm. Then all of a sudden he became limp and started to fall forwards.

"Tala!" Bryan cried out fearfully as he caught the red-head in his arms. Said teen locked eyes with him. Eyes filled with fear.

"I shouldn't have said that." He whispered hoarsely. "I should not have said that. I shouldn't have said a thing!" by this time Tala was shaking hard. Bryan did his best to comfort him.

"Tala it's O.K. You did the right thing. It'll be O.K. I promise."

"No. He, he'll make you dirty. He'll…he'll rape you!" Bryan froze in horror. Memories flooded into his mind's eye. Tala pinned down to the cold floor of the abbey with Boris on top of him. Tala coming into training one day with blood and semen all over his trousers. And with those memories came anger. Anger at not being able to help the boy that was like a brother to him. Anger at Barthez for daring to do that to Tala.

"Tala how long has this been going on for?" Bryan asked gently.

"Ages. Then when he started to do it after school as well I made excuses so you didn't walk home with me. I didn't want you to find out. After all the times Boris raped me I should have been able to cope with it. But I couldn't, after I used to cry for ages. Once I even slit my wrists. I was so ashamed Bry." Tala started to cry softly and Bryan hugged him tight.

"Don't cry Tal." The lilac-haired teen begged.

"You mean you're not angry with me for being so weak?" the teen asked him.

"You weren't weak Tala you was scared. Anyone would be, you were being raped nearly everyday by someone who'd already abused and traumatised you since you was a child. The only person I'm angry at is Barthez."

"Hnn." Tala said. "Bryan it's going to happen again and again. If I don't go then he'll hurt you or Ian or Spencer and I won't ever let that happen."

"We can take him on easy Tala! We'll stop him from ever coming near you again. You've always been there for us now it's out turn to help you."

Tala didn't answer just curled up tighter. Bryan noticed his breathing becoming laboured and decided to talk to the red-head after he'd gotten some much needed sleep.

"Get some sleep Tal." he whispered.

And as his friend slept a single tear rolled down Bryan's cheek.


	6. Chapter 6

Bryan's P.O.V.

I rocked Tala until he was fast asleep. I just couldn't believe it. If it wasn't enough that Barthez was his dad, he'd been forced to suffer rape and God knows what else all alone. I'm actually crying. Weird, I thought I didn't show any emotions but clearly I do. Just a shame I only show them when someone I love is hurt. That bastard Barthez! In some ways I'd prefer it to be Boris or Voltaire hurting Tala. At least whenever we were fighting them we'd dealt with them before, we were used to it. We could handle it. But this…

What I want to know is how Barthez even knew Tala was his son. After all he's only been known as Tala after he ran away from home. He used to be called Yuri but he changed his name the day he escaped. No one but me, Spencer Ian and Kai know what happened before he lived on the streets. Spencer. I wish he was here. He always knows how to deal with situations like this. Me and Ian are no good, we lack the sensitivity thing. We've always been better at solving problems with our fists, not our brains. Spencer would be back tomorrow. At least we've got the weekend to figure out what to do, and then we can help Tala. Meanwhile he's badly hurt, how he managed to get back in this state is a mystery. But Kai was in Russia along with his team and the All Starz for some tournament or something. Kai cares about Tala too. After all he was saved from many beatings when he was in the abbey. And Kai was always good at tending wounds… sod it.

I pulled away from Tala and went to the phone in the hall. Dialling in the number for Kai's mobile I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. But before I can question my motives, Kai answers his phone. 

"Kai?"

"Bryan? What's with you calling me? It's not a leap year is it?"

"Shut up! Look where are you?"

"Duh. In Russia."

"No idiot. I mean how fast can you get over here?"

"Why?"

He sounds suspicious, after all I never call him. Most of the time I just ignore him completely. But he's also worried. If I'm calling him then something must be up.

"Look Tala's hurt and bad. And also there's a bit of a prang going on here. I'll explain it to you if you come. Now are you gonna grace us with your icy presence or not?"

"Alright, alright. I'm coming. I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

"Right."

Then he's gone.


	7. Chapter 7

Kai and Spencer arrived at the same time. 

"Hey Spencer." Kai said to the blonde.

"Hi. What you doing round here?"

"Got a frantic call from Bryan about half an hour ago telling me to get round here fast because there was a situation going on. Oh and apparently Tala's been hurt badly."

"What?" Spencer asked the bluenette fearfully. "How?"

"Calm down!" Kai told his friend. "Let's just ask Bryan alright?"

The giant nodded, his features showing the concern he had for his brother, and inserted his key into the lock.

"Bryan?" Kai called softly once they were inside.

"Sshh!" the lilac-haired Russian appeared at the living-room door. "Hey Spence. I thought you weren't back until tomorrow?"

"Slight change of plans. But cut the crap Bryan what's happened to Tala?" the blonde asked the younger teen.

"Yeah Spencer's right Bryan" Kai added. "What's going on?"

"See for yourself." 

The pair advanced into the living room and stared at the sleeping form of Tala curled up on the sofa.

"Jesus." Kai whispered in horror.

"No kidding" came the blonde's hoarse reply.

"Bryan why does Tala have finger-shaped bruises all on his neck?" the 3 jumped as Ian appeared from apparently out of no-where.

"Bloody hell Ian! Don't do that!" Kai told him.

"Sorry." The shrimp answered.

"Bryan what happened to Tala?" Spencer asked, cutting across the pair's dawning argument. So the lilac-haired teen repeated everything the red-head had told him. Including the fact that Tala had tried to kill himself.

After he'd finished the other 3 just stared at him in shock. They could not believe that Barthez was Tala's dad, let alone the fact that he was back and hurting Tala all over again. Eventually Ian asked the question everyone wanted answered: "What are we gonna do?"

Not one of them had a reply. Then Kai had an idea.

"We could just wait until Monday and then follow Barthez to wherever he takes Tala and then jump him."

"Oh yeah really good idea that." Bryan snapped scornfully. "And what if the police find him oh clever one? He'll tell them it was us and then we'll all get locked up!"

"Course we could just tell the cops and let them deal with it." Ian suggested hopefully. 

"Nah." Spencer shook his head. "If the police get involved it could cause a lot of awkward questions. And Barthez could just say Tala we had it in for him because he had connections to Boris."

"Well we've got to do something!" the shrimp said exasperated. "Or Tala's just going to carry on getting raped every day."

Suddenly Kai stood and walked towards the door.

"Where you buggering off to this time?" Ian queried. 

"Look my brother Grigori's a cop. If I tell him what's going on then he'll be able to arrest Barthez and he won't ask too many questions." The bluenette explained.

"Would he really make sure the rest of the police didn't ask questions?"

"He'd do his best. Look meet me on the beach tomorrow at 8pm. We'll be able to sort everything out there." With that kai was gone. An ingenious plan forming in his mind.

Spencer sighed. "C'mon Ian. It's late. You should be in bed."

"What are you my mother?" Ian quipped the giant, but he slipped down off the sofa and followed his brother up the stairs.

"Bryan you coming?"

"In a minute."

"Night."

"G'night Shrimp."


	8. Chapter 8

Bryan watched the retreating backs of his brothers go up the stairs and turned back to the red-head still asleep on the sofa. Gently picking Tala up again he walked carefully up to his room and deposited Tala on the bed. Closing the curtains, he looked at the sleeping teen and as he did so he was reminded of a familiar situation 10 years ago.

*FLASHBACK*

A 6 year old Bryan Kuznetsov ran through the halls of the abbey trying hard to forget what he'd just witnessed. Tala, his best friend, comrade, brother, companion, captain, pinned to the floor by Boris naked. And Boris with his trousers round his ankles… all for him. 

Bryan had accidentally misfired his blade and been hauled off by the guards for his punishment. Until Tala, the infamous red-head had appeared and saved him. He had somehow managed to pull the leering old man off of him and convinced Boris to punish him instead of his lilac-haired friend. Protecting his friends even at the cost of himself…

*END OF FLASHBACK*

The lilac-haired teen wondered whether to stay with Tala for the night or not. After all he had been puking up blood earlier, he didn't want his brother to choke in his sleep. His question was answered however when Tala started to cough violently and blood soon left a stain on the pillow.

Bryan scrambled urgently onto Tala's bed and slid an arm round his shoulders in an attempt to get his brother's coughing to cease.

"Tala it's OK, just breathe yeah? C'mon calm down." Bryan begged him, suddenly very afraid. Eventually the red-head did stop coughing.

"I'm alright." he whispered to his brother.

"You should go to the hospital or something." Bryan told Tala concerned. "You might have, I dunno, internal bleeding or something."

"No, Barthez. He might find out."

"Well you can't keep coughing your guts up every few hours! You'll die!"

Tala stayed silent for a long time. Until eventually he spoke.

"So we're all going to the beach to meet Kai at 8pm tomorrow right?"

"How the hell do you know that?"

"Boris took away my ability to dream remember? So my brain hears everything that's going on to compensate. It can be quite useful at times."

Bryan issued a low whistle.

There was an awkward silence, neither teen knowing quite what to say to the other. Until, eventually, Bryan decided to ask Tala some more questions before he lost his nerve.

"Tala why did your mum leave? You said your dad never hit her so why?"

To his surprise the red-head laughed, albeit bitterly.

"She only married him for his money. And when that ran out she buggered off. She never loved him, or me. I was a mistake. She told me, a lot."

"Oh my God" the lilac-haired boy mumbled in shock. Tala had never known love! No wonder he always struggled to show emotion, he'd never known any. 

The next time Bryan looked down at the red-head still in his arms he realised Tala was asleep. He turned the pillow over and lay down his brother. Before gently padding out the door; not before picking the scarf up from the floor and the belt hanging over the door of the closet. Just in case.


	9. Chapter 9

Spencer's P.O.V.

I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight with all the worrying I'm doing. Barthez being Tala's dad? Barthez. The man who coached Miguel's team and forced them to cheat their way into the tournament. I wonder if he knew at that point that he was Tala's dad. I think he did. There's something I've never told anyone. Tala wouldn't let me. He begged me not to; he was so scared I'd tell he was sick. Tala told me he'd sort it, but he obviously didn't.

*FLASHBACK*

Spencer crept along the corridor. Despite his height, the Russian blended in perfectly with the shadows. Furtively rounding the corner he spotted all he needed to see to confirm his suspicions. Barthez loomed over the shaking figure of Tala, his hand caressing the teen's pale cheek. The purple-haired creep whispered something that made Tala go even paler, then turned and walked away. The red-head leaned back against the wall with a haunted look in his eyes. 

"Tala?" the blonde Russian called out to his brother. Said boy whirled round. "How much of that did you see?" he demanded.

"That creep touching you then he whispered something and left. What was he doing Tal?"

"Nothing just leave it will ya." Normally Spencer would have left it but Tala had been well stressed lately and judging by his appearance Barthez must have said something that really got to him. 

"You O.K. Tala?" 

"Look I told you I'm fine yeah. Just drop it Spence." The younger boy was now practically begging him. As the giant took in the scared, small figure of his brother in front of him, he suddenly hugged Tala tight. 

The red-haired teen stiffened, he'd always been wary about being touched, even when it was his own team-mates. But when Spencer hugged him he always felt safe and secure. The blonde was his brother, his friend, his team-mate, his comrade and companion, he would never hurt him. After mentally reassuring himself Tala hugged Spencer back. The pair stayed like that until they heard footsteps from further up the corridor. Tala pulled away and looked up at his friend. "We should get out of here." He murmured. Spencer nodded in agreement and moments later they were all but invisible in the inky shadows.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

I should have pushed him more. This might not have happened then, it's my fault. I hope Kai can work out a plan soon. Because Tala sure as hell doesn't deserve this.


	10. Chapter 10

The next night the four teens went to the beach, Bryan's swung his arm round Tala's shoulders to one support him and two, make sure no-one tried to harm his brother. They arrived and headed to the secluded place Kai had said. 

When they arrived Kai was already there with Grigori. "Hey," the bluenette greeted them.

"hi." The 4 boys said in unison. They saw kai roll his eyes slightly and smirked, it always annoyed Kai when they did that. 

"OK so here's the plan. There are a couple of petty criminals who are facing charges and a few months inside if they are found guilty. But if they just happen to come across Barthez beating the crap out of Tala and rough him up a bit, because they are concerned for said red-head's welfare, then Grigori here will guarantee that some crucial evidence proving they did the crime is just so accidentally mislaid. What do you think?"

"If it stops that creep from torturing Tala everyday then I'm all for it." Bryan replied. Spencer, Ian and Tala nodded in agreement. 

"Then that's it. Tala, they know what you look like so just leave school as normal right and they'll follow you and get Barthez."

"OK" the older Russian murmured quietly. 

"See you on Monday." Kai told the Blitzkrieg Boys cheerfully. They nodded and the group all parted and went their separate ways.


	11. Chapter 11

That Monday, Tala walked out of the school gates alone. Bryan had already gone on ahead as planned. Although he should be safe the red-head still felt scared, even the name of that creep brought a chill to his blood and nightmares to his dreams. 

Walking down the now familiar back alley, Tala looked nervously around. Where was he? He was always here, albeit unfortunately. 

Tala was suddenly aware of a presence behind him, whirling round there was Barthez. "God help me. Please." The thought flashed through his mind, quickly replaced by fear.

The creep leered closer and closer, until Tala could feel the rancid breath on his face. A pale, bony finger ran itself across the scar on the back of his neck. The red-haired Russian winced, that scar was one that always felt fresh and hurt. Made by the same bastard that was standing in front of him now.

"Hello Yuri" Barthez crooned sickeningly, "How's my favourite little toy today hmm?"

"Go to hell." Tala snapped. "My name's not Yuri and I'm not your toy!"

The creep simply chuckled, "Oh but you are my dear son. You are nothing but my toy and when you've satisfied me today I'll give you another beating."

Tala gulped and backed up against the bins.

All of a sudden, Barthez's eyes rolled up into his head and he fell forward. Tala dodged to the side and ran, not wanting to see the 2 criminals dealing with his tormentor.


	12. Chapter 12

Tala ran and ran through the backstreets of town until his legs gave out. He slumped against a wall panting heavily; any number of thoughts ran through his mind. He was free; he didn't have to lie to his brothers any more about suspicious injuries. So why did he still feel so lousy? Tala found no answers.

I should go home. The red-head thought suddenly, they would be worried about him. Wanting to know if everything had gone O.K. if Barthez was gone.

Tala reluctantly heaved himself off the cold floor and made his way back to the house. Spencer was there already and he could hear Bryan listening to music in his room.

"Hey." He whispered to the blonde softly.

Spencer turned and saw him standing there. Suddenly, Tala jumped forwards and hugged him tight. Spencer returned the gesture and the younger teen then quickly broke away. "Did everything work?"

"Y...Yeah. Thanks."

No more words were spoken and Tala curled up on the sofa and watched the television. No matter what happens, he thought determinedly, we'll face it together. As a family.

THE END.


End file.
